Drainage intake



Aug-1, H. HOLLAND 2,354,994

DRAINAGE INTAKE Filed Sept 22, 1941 Patented Aug. 1, 1 944 *umTEo sTATEs PATENT OFFICE-"e I Henry Holland,:deceased, late of Cleveland, Ohio, by George W. Holland, administrator, Lakewood, Ohio Application September 22, 1941, Serial No. 411,853

6 Claims.

This invention, as indicated, relates to a drainage intake. More particularly, it comprises means cooperating with or'forming part'of a catch'basin or similar outlet for surface water diverted from roadways and the like.

The invention embodies some of the features set forth in prior United States Patent No. 2,117,- 887,1issued May 17, 1938, but includes other structural features making such devices more readily applicable to concrete roadways and the like, and providingminimum interference with the smoothness and continuity of the traiiic surface. The invention may be formed as an integral structure with the-roadway, or maybe formed as a prefabricated, unit for installation at the required points a ong the roadway. The structure is especially adapted for' 'steepinclines and hillside drainage, andprovides ribs" and channels positioned 'angularly' from the curb toward 'the drainage new 'as' right-hand and left-hand structures, respectively, "on opposite sides of the roadway.

These ribs and channelscau se angular diversions I of the drainage flowingthereover with itsdebris and foreign matter frointhe surface along the road margins against mature and into the drainage intakes, respectively, Throughfthe use of suitable reinforcement and qua'lity'o'f plastic material' the structure maybe formed to'function throughout the life of the roadway without'the necessity of replacement'or repain, r

' The principal object of the present invention isto provide aneconomical drainage intake to divert surface water and debris from the roadway in'fan' efiicient and dependable 'manner so,.that therewill be practically no interference with traf- Tic even whenthedevice'is operating under heavy duty conditions. I

Another object of themveimonj to provide a drainage, intake structure ofase1f-cleaning character peculiarly adapted foruse on inclined roadways an'das right-handand left-handstructures which will present a trafiic'surface substantially uniform with the remainder ofthe. roadway and act effectively to divert fangularly surface water and miscellaneous matter, such as leaves, twigs, and debris of various kinds into the drainage opening whether underconditions of light or heavy duty service.

, 'Another object of the invention is to provide a 'drainageintake device which may be prefabricated for use along a roadway and set into place so as to conforn 'to the road surface and have longservice life andeffective-drainage action with substantially no interference with traffic.

""Ahoth'e'r'bbject'of 'tli invntion'is'tb provide a drainage intake unit formed for installation on hillsides'and the like so as to act with high capacity efficiency during heavy downpours and to free the roadway of surface water and debris with a high degree of effectiveness and substantially no interference with traflic.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure formed of reinforced concrete and providing self-cleaning drainage areas over the surface thereof and having high capacity to withstand heavy duty traffic conditions over a long period of service.

Other and further objects of the invention'will appear in the course of the following description. To the accomplishment offtheforegoing and related ends, said invention, then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting-forth in detail certain structures embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but several of various forms in which the principle -of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing a roadway pavement having a drainage intake unittherein embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view takenalong the line 25-2 shown in Figure I looking in'the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing a prefabricated drainage unit embodying the principles 'of the invention;

' Fig. 4 is .a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of structure embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig, 5 is a view similar" to Figure 1 showing another modified form of structure embodying the principles of the invention as incorporated in the surface of the roadway; V

Fig; 6is a'mold board form utilized in produc ing the drainage surface illustrated in Figure '5;

and

.Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

As is clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing a prefabricated drainage unit I is set into the material of the roadway 2 adjacent the drainage aperture 3 of a'curb plate 4, forming partof the marginal cu'rb structure 5 of the roadway.

The drainage unit I may beforr'ned of any suitable material, such as cast. iron or: other metal, or of plastics or material of other characing away from the curb at each drainage intake 7 to avoid shock to the vehicle occasioned by theconventional depressed form of drainage intake is entirely avoided and high speed traffic can thus be maintained over the full width of the roadway and with small clearance from the-curb margins It will be noted that the channel ways intermesize of the drainage intake unit so as to meet the flow of surface water and direct it toward the curb line a short distance above the drainage aperture and thus prevent the momentum of heavy flow of surface water carrying it past the drainage aperture. A construction of this character is illustrated in Figures 4 and 7 wherein the drainage intake unit 2| is similar in its features to the "unit "I "shown in Figure 1 as described above, but in place of having its ribs restricted to the area in front of the drainage aperture 22 has "additional ribs 23 with intermediate channels 24 which do not discharge into the drainage aperture but accumulate the surface Water in greater volume along the curb so that the full heightcf the drainage aperture 22 will be utilized diate the ribs increase in width and depth in a;

direction toward the drainage aperture and that this construction increases the rate of flow of surface-waters into the drainageaperture and exerts lifting power against any debris which may be carried with such surface water.v The'drainage intakeunit therefore isself-cleaning in char acter and prevents the accumulation of massed debris adjacent the drainage aperture. ,In order to further enhance the action of the ribs and recesses on'the upper surface of the drainage in-. take unit .the ribs are preferably'giv'en a specialized form as shown more particularly in Figure 2 wherein inclined surfaces ll closely approaching the perpendicular at their upper free edges are provided-on the sides of the rib toward which the surface drainage'flow is directed. The surfaces II mergelwith substantially semi-circular areas. l2 at the bottom of eachcf the channels. On the sides of the ribs 'oppositethe surface ll curved surfacs I3. are provided, such surfaces preferably being formed oha short radius. and tending to cause forceful impact of the surface waters against the substantially perpendicular surfaces ll of said unit heretofore described. The outer ends of the channels. Mv preferably merge with the fiat outer'marginal top surface of the drainage intake unit and thus avoid the formation of sharp edges through any'fracture of the wallareas adjacent the channels. As has been above stated the drainage intake unit may be formed of metal or of plastic or other ,nraterial, in accordance with requirements of the in receiving'the surface drainage and so that no residual water will pass down the inclined roadway beyond the drainage aperture 22. The block and ribs all extend at an uphill angle and a marginal channel 25 may be provided adjacent the curb above the drainage intake to assist the additional ribs and channels in directing the drainage flow toward the curb and into the drainage intake.

In each of the drainage intake units the ribs and channels arepreferably directed angularly in'an fuphill" direction to meet the volume of drainage flow and divert such flow into the intake aperture. 7 The degree of such angular positioning of the 'ribs and channels may be varied in accordance with the volume of flow and the steepness of the roadway over which the surface water passes. It should be pointed out that such inclination of the ribs and'channels is an important factor in causing rapid flushing of all debrisicarried with or fioating on the surface water intothe drainage aperture. It is'to be understoodlthatthelength of the drainage aperture' will be increased where the-volume of surface water on the hillside is larger than that met with on the average roadway.

" Whileprecast drainage units formed of cast particular locality where the same are used. In

preferably provided; Such'bars maybe 'in'the form of an upper and lower series the bars] I8 of the upper series being embedded centrally of the rib'portioris of the block; and the bars l9 of the lower series occupying intermediate or offset po sitions from the bars of theupper series. The ribs and channels on the upper surface 'Of the drainage unit l6 are preferably similar in shape to those heretofore described in connection with Figures 11 and2 and have been given similar refat an uphill angle. f I V In order to take care of exceptionally "heavy speed "drainage flow on roadways ofste'ep inclination it is ffound' desirable to increase'the V erence characters,'and theblock and ribs extend iron or other rigid material, or of concrete blocks "or the like having suitable reinforcement throughout the body of the block and within the ribs, if desired, provide for uniformity of the drainage installations along a section of roadway, there are many instances wherein-the roadway itself while in course of "construction can be formed with a series of ribs and channels to take care of the flow of surface water into the drainage aperture. A construction of this type is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the roadway 3| adjacent the drainage aperture 32 is formed with ribs 33'and'channels 34, all preferably inclined upwardly across the line of drainage flow as indicated by the arrow; and all having preferably a cross-sectionalcontour or ribs and recesses corresponding to those shown in Figure 2. In order to provide such integral ribs and channels a mold board 35 of the form illustrated'in Figure '6 is provided, such mold board having a series of projections 36 of the contour and outline of the channels and thus forming intermediate the same the rib areas 33 heretofore described. V

Other modes-of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed,- provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of-such stated means be employed.

' It is therefore particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed'as the invention:

1. A drainage intake member adapted to be and above the same and are directed outwardly from the curb and inclined across the drainage flow in an uphill direction, said channels flared upwardly and being of progressively decreasing width and depth in a direction away from said curb and merging with the roadway surface, and each channel having a substantially perpendicular wall surface against which the drainage flow is directed.

2. A drainage intake member adapted to be embodied as a traffic supporting structure in a roadway surface adjacent to and extending in an uphill direction above a drainage aperture in the curb and providing a plurality of ribs and channels which discharge into the drainage aperture and above the same and are directed outwardly from the curb and inclined across the drainage flow in an uphill direction, said channels flared upwardly and being of progressively decreasing width and depth in a direction away from said curb and merging with the roadway surface, each channel having a substantially perpendicular wall surface against which the drainage flow is directed, and having the opposite wall surface of curved cross-section to cause non-turbulent flow against the perpendicular wall areas.

3. A drainage intake member adapted to be formed as a precast unit for installation on heavy grades of roadways adjacent drainage apertures in the curb margins, and providing a rhomboidal plate, a plurality of parallel ribs and channels on the upper surface of said plate, with said ribs at the level of the plate margins and road surface and said channels of increasing width and depth in an inclined direction toward the intake opening from a point of origin even with the top surface and spaced from the outer margin of said plate, and a marginal channel with cross-channels feeding thereinto, positioned on the up-grade side immediately above the drainage aperture.

4. A drainage intake member adapted to be formed as a precast unit for installation on heavy grades of roadways adjacent to and extending in an uphill direction above the drainage apertures in the curb margins, and providing a rhomboidal plate, a plurality of parallel ribs and channels on the upper surface of said plate, with said ribs at the level of the plate margins and road surface and said channels of increasing width and depth in an inclined direction toward the intake opening from a point of origin even with the top surface and spaced from the outer margin of said plate, and each channel having a substantially perpendicular wall surface against which the drainage flow is directed.

5. A drainage intake member adapted tobe formed as a precast unit for installation on heavy grades of roadways adjacent to and extending in an uphill direction above the drainage apertures in the curb margins, and providing a rhomboidal plate, a plurality of parallel ribs and channels on the upper surface of said plate, with said ribs at the level of the plate margins and road surface and said channels of increasing width and depth in an inclined direction toward the intake opening from a point of origin even with the top surface and spaced from the outer margin of said plate, each channel having a substantially perpendicular wall surface against which the drainage flow is directed, and having the opposite wall surface of curved cross-section to cause non-turbulent flow against the perpendicular wall areas.

6. A drainage intake member adapted for integral engagement in the traffic surfaces on steep roadways comprising a precast rhomboidal block having the upper surface thereof provided with inclined parallel ribs and channels, each of said channels starting from a point spaced from the outer edge of said block and even with the top surface thereof and of increasing width and depth toward the discharge margin of said block adjacent an intake aperture at the side of the roadway, and a marginal channel with crosschannels feeding thereinto, positioned on the up-. grade side immediately above the drainage aperture.

GEORGE W. HOLLAND, Administrator of the Estate of Henry Holland,

Deceased. 

